For 40 Days – Day 35: Mission Prep: Consequences

Key Episode Scripture: Matthew 3-4 and Luke 3-4

And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:43 ESVUK)

Jesus did not cheat. He was the Son of God, affirmed and approved as coming from the divine, yet He took on the form of a servant; He learnt obedience through what He suffered (see Hebrews 5 and Philippians 2). This started from the season of preparation for the mission recorded by Matthew and Luke. We considered the context and then outlined the content in both scriptures. We explored intriguing concepts that motivated the conclusion we reached. Here are some consequences that this study has for our approach to mission today.

Intentionally Prepared for Mission

When we declare the gospel, are we aware of its repercussions? When we accepted the gospel, were we made aware of the consequences? What John preached about demanded wholesale change. What Jesus proclaimed likewise had change in mind. Not just change in behaviour and actions but change in our pursuits. Jesus intentionally prepared for the mission. Jesus took disciples with Him to prepare them for the mission. The gospel of Jesus Christ, as we will discover in the final episode, is not primarily about ensuring we don’t go to hell. It is mainly concerned with turning sinners into servants and turning miscreants (great word) into missionaries. It is about change – to be aligned with God’s eternal purposes for humanity. Our approach to sharing the good news with others and demonstrating the rule of God is with the desired outcome that witnesses to the wonderful works of God will turn to Him and invest in becoming intentionally prepared for the mission.

Mission of Service in Power

The preparation stages ensure that we are equipped to do what God calls us to do on the mission. This means that the idea of passive Christianity, which is about turning up for weekly services to help you feel good about being moral, misses the mark. Being captured by God’s call sees us embark on understanding how the same power that worked in Jesus works in us to make a Kingdom impact in our sphere of influence. We no longer rely purely on our ability, skill and talent to accomplish work. We are no longer driven by selfish ambition. We are in a relationship with the Father through the Son and have His Holy Spirit living in us to do what He wants us to do for His glory by His power. This radically differs from models based on academic brilliance, intellectual excellence, individual ingenuity, superb networking and vast contacts, and personally driven entrepreneurial tendencies. It radically differs from the manmade models that dominate the world’s various systems. It leads to expressions where witnesses can clearly see that what is done can only be done by the power of God.

Recognise the Purpose of Obstruction, Resistance, and Temptation

Jesus, like John before Him, drew large crowds. Jesus drew obstruction, resistance and temptation. Suffering and barracking were as much part of His preparation as being affirmed by the Father, served by the angels and lauded by those who saw His work. The expectation of obstruction, resistance and temptation should bring us back to the purpose for it. That purpose, from the perspective of the opponents, is to stop us from carrying out the mission. That purpose, from the standpoint of our reading, should be to rely on God, His Word and His Spirit to propel further into the mission. It’s to make us aware of our frailty, the tendency to be prone to wander, susceptible to operate in the flesh, and to use that to fall in total dependence on God, who called us, equips us and is with us every step of the way. Great effort is put into being discouraged in the light of setbacks, disappointments and frustrations in carrying out the mission. That effort is largely demonic, often supported by our eyes turning to our circumstances and away from our Father. This is why God’s Spirit is crucial in helping us view these in a manner that pleases our Father.

Learn and Get Others to Learn

The preparation for the mission was not something that Jesus was to do on His own. From His encounter with the devil, Jesus ensured that His mission was done in the context of others getting an insight into what He was doing. It was done so they could likewise be prepared to carry on the mission. It’s a perpetual activity of operating and being a model for operators to follow. It makes being on the mission a team activity, even if an individual appears to be at the forefront. It implies that in some shape or form, as we take the mission of God seriously, we should be engaging with others we learn from and others who may learn from us as we engage in the apprenticeship together. That conscious awareness of learning from others to operate as God calls us reinforces the need to ditch passive Christianity. Our identity in Christ, as children of the Most High God, affirmed by Him as noted by the indwelling presence of His Spirit not just in us individually but in us collectively, works itself out in being intentionally mission-minded in all aspects of our lives.

Next, from the launch of Jesus’ mission, we conclude this series by looking at how Jesus launched the mission for the apostles after His resurrection in I Send You.

For His Name’s Sake

C. L. J. Dryden

Shalom